Thursday, May 29, 2008

My church partners with ICDI's orphan care efforts in the Central African Republic (check out the blog). Please skim the above article. One thing that challenges me is the lack of long-term agricultural development for the peoples of Africa. That's why I believe in ICDI which seeks to address the underlying problems to focus on development rather than emergency crisis responses. I seek to impact one community at a time, one family at a time, one person at a time. I wonder if other smaller organizations are doing it better than our larger governmental aid counterparts.

My church exists in an agricultural rich area in Ohio. So seeking to address poor farming practices, the lack of irrigation, high-yielding seeds and fertilizer are all things common to those here in Northeast Ohio. I can see my church having a long-term partnership with helping one community at a time. Right now I help facilitate reaching out to one community in the Central African Republic. Our hope is to make a difference in the lives of one community and spread hope to every person in that community.

As part of my latest habit in reading the Bible to help shape my spirituality, I read Proverbs 29 today. I find it so helpful in my interactions with people. The Bible is practical and especially helpful in interpersonal relationships.

One verse that caught my attention as I read the chapter is:

"The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted (verse 25)."

I find it challenging to battle what people think of me. In my case, what people thinks matters. In fact, this verse offers a great insight to how I feel sometimes--what others think is a snare. I feel ensnared by what others think.

I was having lunch with one of the other pastors at Subway and a gaggle of girls were in a booth near us and burst out laughing loudly. It crossed my mind that they might be laughing at me. But as I thought about it, they most likely weren't laughing at me, but it crossed me mind. How self-centered am I?

It is true that I can ensnare myself with what other people may think. But the remedy for me is found in the second part of the verse. I can trust in the Lord so that I can be exalted, out of the snare's reach and live beyond what others may think. In fact, I can live above it. So when another crowd explodes with laughter near me, then I will reaffirm the truth that I can trust in God despite my battle with what others think. He can be trusted with my feelings and He will lift me above and beyond that snare for my life.

I wonder if any of you ever feel the same thing or if this is something that doesn't phase you at all. Please stop and make a comment. More wisdom for your life later.